Meter-box.



W. DENNISON.

METER B0X.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1913. June 30 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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W. DENNISON.

METER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s, 1913.

1,101,908, Patented June 30,1911

SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WITNESSES TSM-17 @m11 ,1. MW

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN co.. WASMINUTON. D. c.

WILLIAM DENNISON, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISTANA.

METER-BOX.

troncos.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une Sti, iit.

Application filed uly 3, 1918. Serial No. 777,185. i

T 0 all whom it may concern lie it known that l, YILLIAM DnNNIsoN, citizen of the United States, residing at New rleanS, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana` have invented new and useful Improvements in Meter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to meter boxes; and it contemplates the provision of a simple and inexpensive meter box that is well adapted to meet the conditions and withstand the usage to which devices of corresponding character are ordinarily subjected.

rlvhe invention in all of its details will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the saine are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

.Figure l is a sectional view illustrating the meter box constituting the best practical embodiment of my invention that l have as vet devised. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same. Figs. 3, et and 5, are detail Views illustrative of one of the couplings comprised in my improvement. Figs. 6 to 17 are views of parts of the box hereinafter specifically referred to.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in Figs. l to 5.

Among other elements,my novel meterbox comprises a mud plate l that is corrugated at its upper side` as shown, or is otherwise adapted to drain water from the box. Super-posed on the mud plate is a lower cylindrical member l, and surrounding and extending upwardly from said member la is an upper cylindrical member 2, designed to be normally closed by a closure plate 3, that is loosely connected with the member 2 through the medium of a chain l. In its lower end and at diametrically opposite points, the lower member la is provided with bifurcations 13, as illustrated. On its outer side and at diametrically opposite points, the lower member l'l is provided with two vertical series of spaced projections 5. It will also be observed by comparison of Figs. l and 2, that the upper member 2 is provided upon its inner side with two diametrically opposite vertical series of spaced projections G, each of the said projections 6 having a depending portion 7 at one end, designed to bring up against the end of the particular project-ion 5 on which said projection 6 rests, this with a view to limiting the rotation of the member 2 when it is turned about its axis to place the projections 6 in the spaces between the projections 5, so that said projections t3 will rest' on projections 5, and thereby support the upper member 2 in proper position relative to the lower member la. It will also be observed that the spaces between the projections 5 are considei'ably greater than the vertical thickness of the projections 6, and that therefore the upper member 2 is capable of a limited vertical movement independently of the member ln, as is desirable when the meter box is disposed in frozen ground.

8 is a meter which 72er se may be of any type without affecting my invention. The said meter is provided atopposite sides with nipples 2?, and the said nipples are threaded at tneir outer ends into couplingsi) having depending portions, as shown, disposed in grooves in couplings 10. The said couplings lO are provided with bearings 11a, FigsfB and 5, and in the said bearings is disposed the bail of a swinging loop 10a, which carries in its head a screw 2b. The said screw is designed to bear on the upper side of the coupling 9, with a view Vto rendering fluid tight the joint'between the coupling 9 and the coupling l0. By virtue of this provision it will be manifest that a tight connection may be quickly made between the couplings or coupling members 9 and 10, and also that when necessary the coupling members l0 may be` expeditiously and easily removed from the members 9. l

Carried by the coupling members lO are elbows l1, which are designed to be connected with a main and a house pipe respec* tively. rThe lower arms or port-ions of the said elbows are carried out lof lthe box through the before-mentioned bifurcations 13, and on the said lower arms or portions are longitudinally slotted flanges lat. EX- tending through the slots in the said flanges 14 are screws i5 that are threaded into or otherwise connected by the mud plate 1. By virtue of this connection it will be manifest that the elbow pipes are strongly connected with the mud plate, and yet either of said elbow pipes can be expeditiously and easily moved inwardly or outwardly relative to the meter or meter box as occasion demands.

Fixed to and extending inwardly from the lower member la or the boX are pairs of flanges l2, and between the said flanges l2 the elbows ll are loosely arranged, this in order to prevent turning of the lower section lu about its axis to any material extent,

ln Figs. t3, 7, and 8 the closure plate 8 is shown as having seats 71., notches g, lugs f and a chain and in Figs. 9, l0 and 1l the upper member 2 of the boxis shown as provided with a fiance Z), notches at d and provided with lugs C, and is also shown as provided with interior projections e.

The modified upper section 7; shown in l2 and 13 ha its upper portion reduced in diameter, and is provided on said portion with projections m, designed to cooperate with the projections c, which projections c are adapted to enter spaces Z between the projections fm. ln its base the section 7; is provided with notches n, correspentiin@- to the notches i3 ot Figs. l and fis shown in plan in lil the modified lower member or section 7e is provided with flanges t), corresponding to the flanges 1 2 et Fig. l.

rllie modified mud plate 2J, shown in Figs. 1G and 1T is provided with ribs S and projections o",

YPi/Then desired the iittings at the bottom of the box can be made square instead of being curved as shown in Figs. l, 3 and l vwould also have it understood that the slotted tlano'cs 11ican be made to start from a point adjacent and outside ot the meter box, and to extend outwardly relative to the meter bei: any desired distance in order to enable the operator to easily screw the said flanges lll downward.

l: have entered into a detailed description oic the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and in'eiierred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a nll, clear and exact iindorstendingI et the said embodiment. l do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the said speciiie Construction and relative arrangement ot parts as in the future practice of the invention such changes or modifications may be made as fairly fall within the scope of my appended claims.

Having` described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

l. llhe combination of a mud plate, a cylindrical member siiperposed on said plate and having openings at opposite points and adjacent the mud plate, a meter in said member, and elbow pipes having' upwardly reaching portions connected with the meter and also having1 outwardly reaching por tions extending through said openings in the member and provided at opposite sides with longitudinally slotted flanges, and headed devices disposed in said slots oiE the -flanges and connected with the mnd plate.

The combination of a box member, a-

. meter therein, pipes carried outside the box member, coupling members on said pipes, within the box member' and having bear-- ings on their lower portions and also havgrooves in their upper portions, eoupling members connected with the meter and having; depending portions seated in said grooves, bails mounted in the bearings of the first-named coupling members and having portions adapted to be disposed above the second-named coupling members, and screws bearing in said portions and adapted to be set against the second-named coupling members.

3. In anieter box, the combination of a mnd plate, a lower box section superimposed on the mnd plate and haring` notches in its base and also having pairs oi spaced upright flanges on its inner side, meter disposed in the said section, and conduits c0nnected to the said meter and disposed between the flanges ot' the section and extending; through the notches of the section and coiipled to the mud plate.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM DENNISON.

Vitnesses:

HUGH lV. SALBADOR, A. J. HENRY.

@entes et this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of ratsam.

Washington, 1D. C. 

